Conditions of Participation

The BaltiCCycle (BC) is not a commercial tour, all organizers are volunteers, and the membership fee collected goes only for covering organizational expenses. Joining the BC you become a part of the team, and we expect from you the goodwill, the right understanding of our principles and rules, as well as the offering assistance when organizers need it.

The BaltiCCycle 2015 tour “Rolling Trolls” – to the Faroe Islands and Iceland – is scheduled for advanced participants having experience in long travels, mountain roads, remote areas and unpredictable weather conditions. You must be prepared for a sudden change of sunny but cool weather to cold, windy and rainy (and vice versa). The average temperature in Iceland is 15.2C in July, and 13.3C in August. The daylight is from mid-May to mid-August and the sun only sets for around 3 hours per day and there is light for the whole 24-hour period; in case of adverse weather to complete the day distance you have to cycle at “night” when winds become quiet. The majority of route follows the asphalt roads though of varying quality. The last part of the route goes through highlands on unsurfaced roads.
The ride is open for everybody but before signing you should think about your potential to complete it not bringing troubles to yourself and others.
BC participants gather for the ride from different countries and continents. We recommend bringing on your bike a national flag or other symbols that local people could see us as international friendly cycling community.

Organizational principles. It is a similar trip to the previous BC tours:

• Usually the daily cycling distance is less than 80 km. Because of mountains and many natural wonders aside the main road, we have days with shorter distances up to 60 km.
• The rest days are planned once a week, at places with interesting sights.
• All sleeping places are planned in tents in official camping sites (if available) or in wild nature, sometimes in hostels, especially in towns. Not all sleeping places are arranged in advance; the BC support car will go ahead looking for them.
• Copies of maps with a marked day’s route and description will be distributed during a map-meeting every morning as well as the day’s program explained.
• From sleeping to sleeping place you can travel individually or in small groups. When according to the program some common event is planned we will cycle in one group wearing T-shirts and other ride symbols.
• The car of organizers will follow during the ride. In case of serious emergency you can call the driver asking to transport to the nearest first aid or service centre. In case of injury, sickness or other reason when participant is not able to continue cycling for more than 1-2 days the organizers can offer to transport his bike but can’t undertake any obligations to provide a passenger seat in the car.
• When planning the route we try to avoid the roads with high level of traffic but not everywhere it is possible.

Arrival / Departure. The cost of arrival/departure is not included in the membership fee; you have to arrange transport by yourself. If you are going to join or finish the ride in another place, you have to plan it yourself too. Click here to find the rough recommendations about arrival / departure options. We can pick you up for the additional fee (5 Euro per 10 km) in the radius of 50 km counting the distance both ways. You have to inform us about it at least two days in advance. It will be possible during the whole period to contact the ride organizers by mobile phone or email. Though the ride schedule is already fixed but the real dates can be slightly shifted (plus/minus 1-2 days) because of unexpected obstacles. Have it in your mind when planning your travel.

Transportation of bicycle to the start and back. We can bring the bicycle and other personal luggage to/from the Faroes and Iceland by our BC support van which will start from Vilnius on July 2, and goes through Sweden to take the Smyril Line ferry in Denmark on July 4, arriving to the Faroes on July 5; from Faroes leaving to Iceland on July 8 and arriving to the ride start on July 12. After the ride the support car will leave Reykjavik on August 11. The charge for this service is 70 Euro one way. The number of places is limited.
Another option is to take your bicycle on a plane. Some recommendations how to pack the bike for the plane you can find here.

Visas. Citizens of EU don’t need visas to Faroes as well as Iceland.

Vaccination. It is not required, but always better to vaccinate against Hepatitis A, ticks, Hepatitis B virus, Typhoid fever, Tetanus and Diphtheria. More info – here.

Catering. It depends only on you. It is recommended to bring along a gas stove for preparing meal in the campsites and enough drinkable water and food during the day. If the tap of drinkable water is not available in the campsite, you will find water in our van. The driver of our support car is a cook too, and it will be a possibility to order the breakfast and super paying directly to him.

Necessary equipment and documents:

• bicycle prepared for the travel (carriers with panniers or saddlebags, safe brakes, reflectors and lights); click here for the recommendations how to prepare the bike;
• bike spare parts and keys to service it (some bike repair equipment will be in the support car);
• cyclist first-aid kit (more medicines in the support car);
• valid passport or Identify Card;
• INDIVIDUAL MEDICAL INSURANCE is obligatory, no group insurance is provided;
• waterproof, windproof and sun protected clothes and creams;
• camping gear (tent designed for strong winds, warm sleeping bag, gas stove, light, etc.);
• money for personal expenses (bicycle repair, food, museums, excursions and other expenses);
• mobile phone.

Children until 18. Children can take part in the ride only together with parents (one or both) or another adult who is authorized by notary to take care and is fully responsible for the juvenile.

Luggage transport during the ride. We recommend carrying the necessary personal stuff in the panniers on your bike. The service of luggage transportation by the support car is limited to 20 kg. The luggage for transportation should be packed to a standard bag (you will receive it after arrival), and it is included in the registration fee. In case of emergency (car accident or some other unexpected circumstances) you should be ready to carry all your stuff on the bike. If you plan to transport any additional bag in the support bus you have to indicate when registering and pay in advance (2 Euro per day).
Neither organizers nor driver are responsible for safety of your luggage. You should insure or protect your luggage against theft personally.

Membership fee – 17 Euro/day. You have to indicate the number of days you plan to travel in the table of the Registration Form, and your membership fee for the whole tour will be counted automatically. Full membership fee must be paid before June 15, 2015, otherwise it increases by 10% and discount expires.
The membership fee will not be required from the local cyclists who help in organising the ride and will cycle less than 3 days. They have to cover only the sleeping costs. The organizers will appreciate if local participants will purchase a package with ride symbols (T-shirts, flag and sticker).

The membership fee includes:

• sleeping places for a tent under simple camp-conditions (outdoor toilet, drinking water, waste-baskets) in campsites or wild nature or in a hostel;
• car following the group with personal stuff of participants (1 standard bag 20 kg), first-aid and basic bicycle repair instruments; possibility to call the car in case of serious emergency;
• copy of maps with the marked route; list of recommended sights as well as a short description – daily consultation regarding the route, cultural program, catering;
• a package with ride symbols: T-shirts, flag and sticker;
• cosy surprises prepared by organizers.

Discounts:

• 10% – is available for pupils and students (not more than 26 years old), and families (3 and more people);
• 15% – for BC participants who cycled 100 days and more with us in BC history (2003-2015); if a participant reaches 100 days during the ride, the discount is calculated since that day;
• 100% – participants who fully prepare some part of the route (maps, descriptions, camps) will NOT have to pay membership fee for that part of the route and for the same number of days in the same ride or the next BC ride or they receive other gratification agreed with organizers;
• Privilege Discount – participants who obtain potential sponsors or support the expedition in another way, it will be negotiated individually;
• discounts can’t be summed up; [18:31:11] sigitas_lt: discounts can’t be summed up
• the discounts are applicable only if the Registration Form and at least the half part of membership fee is received before May 15, 2015.

Additional paid service (optional):

– booked by registration

• transportation of bicycle and luggage to (from) the Faroes / Iceland – 70 Euro one way;
• transportation of additional personal luggage (one standard bag up to 20 kg – 2 Euro per day);
• additional BC2015 T-shirt (10 Euro per unit), one is for free.

– booked during the ride:

• bike spare parts (shop prices);
• possibility to use transport of organizers for arrival/departure to/from the ride in the radius of 50 km (5 Euro per 10 km) counting the distance both ways.

Resignation rules. The date of resignation is fixed on when the resignation letter is received by organizers (before the ride by email bc2015@bicycle.lt, by mobile +48 663 266 553 or +370 68 659 375, during the ride it should be delivered to the leaders of expedition and confirmed by them). The date is important, because resigning from the tour the participant receives his membership fee back in the following manner:

• up to 30 days before the start – 100 %;
• 10-30 days before the start – 70 %;
• less than 10 days before the start – no money repaid, however 50% are deposited in participant’s account for the next year BC tour; if not used next year – they are lost in behalf of BC organisation;
• after 10 and more days of cycling – 80% of unused money (for the first 10 days no refund);
• money are paid back under mentioned above circumstances within 30 days after the end of the tour;
• if you decide to change the sleeping place provided by organizers to another, you will yourself cover a cost for it, the organizers don’t give money back if you don’t sleep with a group;
• if due to some reasons the participant separates from the group for one or more days (nights) no refund for this lost time is applicable;
• money is not paid back for the excluded from the tour participants.

Organisers:

• The coordinator Monika Zakrzewska, monikazak@yahoo.co.uk;
• The GMPR Lithuanian Fund, Sigitas Kučas, bc2015@bicycle.lt, tel. +37068659375;
• CROTOS – Travellers’ Association, Maryla Zielińska, bc2015@bicycle.pl, tel. +48 663 266 553.